In order to change the culture and tone of the building, creating a multi-age community was seen as a centerpiece of the redesign.

As educator Deborah Meier, one of JREC's planners, noted, "what was at the heart of what we were trying to establish was a strong community - a setting that would provide the most natural way for people to learn. Strong communities are multi-generational."

Meier also pointed out that adolescents look at the world differently when younger kids are around, noting "it softens their way of interacting with each other."

For these reasons, the redesign of Julia Richman Education Complex called for an infant toddler center for the children of teen parents, an elementary school, a middle school, four high schools, and a teacher center.